Gender Differences in Predicting Antisocial Behaviors: Developmental Consequences of Physical and Relational Aggression

This study investigated gender differences in the relationship of early physical and relational aggression to later peer rejection
and overt and covert antisocial behaviors. Significant gender differences were found indicating physically aggressive boys
were more likely than girls to experience later peer rejection. Early physical aggression was related to later overt antisocial
behavior for boys and girls, and more strongly for girls than for boys. Early relational aggression was not associated with
later forms of antisocial behavior. In the context of early physical aggression, for boys and girls peer rejection generally
served to increment risk for later overt and covert antisocial behavior in an additive fashion. The data suggest some gender
specificity in the social risk processes associated with the development of early overt and covert antisocial behaviors.